The pre-conditions influencing the adoption of innovative medical technologies amongst healthcare professionals : the case of point of care testing

Abstract

The health sector is rich in medical innovations and such abundance is conducive to the betterment of patient care. The adoption of innovations into routine healthcare practices faces a number of barriers, leading to a lagged innovative environment. This study sets out to investigate the pre-conditions (both inhibitors and facilitators) influencing the translation of innovation into practice, in the context of innovative medical technology in the national healthcare system. The role of healthcare professionals and their personal perception of the innovation’s characteristics and its adoption process are kept central to this study. This thesis adopts a qualitative research strategy. It implements a case study design to effectively carry out an in-depth analysis of the adoption process experienced in a public hospital environment particularly throughout the use of Point of Care Testing (POCT) technology. The foregoing is the backdrop for the International Normalised Ratio (INR) test utilised by the coagulation clinic. Six semi-structured interviews with healthcare professionals who work in the field are used as a method of data collection. The results of this research strengthen established literature related to innovation characteristics. The results confirm the literature about the relationship between relative advantage, compatibility and trialability and the inverse relationship of complexity with innovation adoption of medical technology in healthcare. The study finds limited information about the observability trait. Another significant characteristic emerging from this study relates to re-invention. The need to re-invent medical technology was found to slow down adoption as professionals have to become more familiar with the innovation and increases risks. The study also draws out a number of pre-conditions specific to healthcare professionals, highlighting that the individual background and previous work experience, their designation within the organisation and the responsibilities and expectations set on them by the organisation, the concept that the patient is at the centre of health care, emerged to have a strong impact on the innovation adoption of innovative technology in health care organisations.